May 13, 2016 – Step by Step

” …The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. …His defense must come from a Higher Power.” – Alcoholics Anonymous, Third Edition, 1976, Ch 3, p 43.

Today, it is foolish at best and suicidal at worst to rely on my own defenses if the temptation for that mythical first drink rises up. My refuge and perhaps only defense is my faith, trust and loyalty to the higher power of my understanding. By His grace, may I internalize for the current 24 Hours my past as a drinking alcoholic to smash the lie of just one drink and reinforce that all my morning after’s became progressively worse, never better. Let me remember just as much if not more that drinking, in the end, is a choice, that there are consequences for every choice I make and that I and only I will be responsible to those consequences. The question, then, is if I am willing to be responsible to the consequences of my choice to drink. My history is proof that the cost, for me, is too high. Today, I will not depend on myself to ward off the con of a first drink; instead, I will have faith in my higher power. And our common journey continues. Step by step. – Chris M., 2016